When I dry out the cape I use borax also but its not the type you get in the laundry aisle. The laundry type of borax is way too fine in my opinion. The borax I get is from where I work and its rougher and gritter (the best way to describe it). When I pour the borax on the cape I will rub it in lightly and then pretty much dump a bunch on top of it. I will have a good inch or more on top of it. I will leave them like that for atleast 5 weeks before I do anything to them.

If you notice in the pic on the lower body part, that's about how much borax I use on each one. I made a jake fan last year to put in a decoy. I have abused that fan and it hasn't fallen apart yet (knock on wood). Also, my first attempt on a cape that I did a couple of years ago is still holding up and looking like it did when I made it. Besides the borax I don't do anything special to them. I'm sure there is something that will help the hide last longer but I don't know what that might be.

I guess it may be the spray ,,,, but none of the fellows around here have had very good luck just drying the tail. I redid one of mine by removing the feathers one by one and pinned them in the shape I wanted and fastened them all together. I can have a completed fan in about 4 hours. Have done several for all the fellows around here. I'm sure they would hold up well in a decoy also. This is one I did using the whole leg instead of cutting the spurs out of the leg.

100_0478 (Copy).JPG (57.29 KiB) Viewed 1722 times

What works for me may not work for you and what works today may not work tomorrowDoug <- <- ~<- <- <- ~ <-

Thanks for the compliment!! I have never used that modge podge, never even heard of it. I will have to see if I can locate some. That was the first one I did with the whole leg like that. I usually just cut about a one inch section of the leg out with the spur and thread them on one of those elastics that the girls hold their pony tail with then hook the beard/shell on one end and the other to the plaque. Thanks for the tip.

What works for me may not work for you and what works today may not work tomorrowDoug <- <- ~<- <- <- ~ <-

Ok,,,,, found it will pick some up when we get to the store again. What did you think of the way I do the fans???? I suspect you could do a fan that way then attached the cape and be able to cover the seam with feathers.

What works for me may not work for you and what works today may not work tomorrowDoug <- <- ~<- <- <- ~ <-

I really do like the way you did it. I'm going to give it a try this fall whether its on a hen or a gobbler. As far as time wise, 4 hours compared to 5+ weeks, your way is much faster. If you do the tail fan your way, it should be no problem using a hot glue gun to attach it and the body section together.